01/17/2026
Theodore Roosevelt
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
Theodore Roosevelt was born on October 27, 1858, in New York City, and died in 1919. He served as the 26th President of the United States from 1901 to 1909. A statesman, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and reformer, he is remembered for his energetic personality, "cowboy" persona, and progressive political policies known as the "Square Deal." He championed the strenuous life, foreign policy decisiveness ("speak softly and carry a big stick"), and a spirit of robust, pragmatic action.
This statement is a masterful recipe for effective action and a cure for paralysis. It dismisses excuses about needing perfect conditions, more resources, or a different location before beginning. Roosevelt commands threefold focus: Action ("do what you can"), Resources ("with what you have"), and Context ("where you are"). It emphasizes initiative over ideation, pragmatism over perfection, and starting now over waiting for a better time. For a man who transformed himself from a sickly child into an explorer and president, this was a personal creed: progress is made by people who use whatever tools and opportunities are immediately at hand to begin building, solving, or improving. It is a call to stop wishing and start working with the reality in front of you.
